Monkey Controls Robotic Arm With Brain Implants [PHOTOS]

(REUTERS) -- Jianhui, a 5-year-old monkey, is seen with a device attached to its head as it prompts a mechanical arm via brain signals at a laboratory at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province February 23, 2012. A tiny sensor implanted in Jianhui's brain is allowing the monkey to control a mechanical arm to reach and grab food and drinks, scientists with east China's Zhejiang University announced on Monday afternoon. The technology, Brain-Machine Interface (BMI), is a real blessing for people with paralyzing conditions, according to Zheng Xiaoxiang, the professor leading the research group.